How we let our homes

Our group members let over 3,000 homes every year and own property across the North West of England and the Midlands. Our homes are maintained to the highest standard and backed by quality customer services. We offer a large range of affordable property types available in urban and rural locations. These range from two and three bed or even larger homes for families, studio, one and two bed apartments for singles or couples and bungalows. We also offer retirement living properties specifically designed to cater for the needs of older people.

Our homes are primarily allocated to people with a housing need. In addition to this, we also operate a number of Local Lettings Policies. This allows us to make rehousing offers that fit with local community needs, for example we can offer in these areas priority to working households and people with community connections.

We have nominations agreements with all Local Authorities where we have stock and a number of our empty homes are set aside for nominations from Local Authorities such as Manchester City Council, Chorley Borough Council and Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council. This ensures that reasonable preference is given to applicants in greatest need such as homelessness applicants, people fleeing Domestic Violence, overcrowding and applicants with medical needs.

When an allocation is made, either through a nomination or a direct offer from us, we aim to develop stable communities and that preference is also given to applicants with a local connection to the area, either through work and family connections.

All customers need to be aware that we will charge two weeks rent in advance before we issue keys to our homes.

Readily available homes

Each week, we have a number of homes that are readily available to let now. We update this list at least once a week and new homes are added. You can check for new properties on our website, on Rightmove or by calling connect. The eligibility criteria for these homes are included in the description of each property advertised. These properties are available on first come, first served basis and allocated to people with housing need.

Housing Need Categories are as follows (this is not an exhaustive list):

Moving due to medical need that would improve housing circumstances.

Under-occupying currently and moving to a more suitably sized property.

Over-crowding.

Domestic Violence.

Serious Harassment.

Homeless or potentially Homeless.

Moving for support or to to be nearer to place of work or study (local connection).

Child/Children living at height.

To rent one of our other properties you will need to register for property alerts with us to join our marketing list or to your local authority who can nominate you to us typically through what’s called a Choice-Based Lettings scheme.

To be eligible to register, you need to be:

18 years or older (or over 16, subject to a separate assessment).

A UK Citizen or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK.

When you register with us, you will receive a text to confirm that your registration has been received and then the next time a property becomes available which matches your requirements, you will receive a text directing you to our website where you can view that property. If there is a change in your circumstances and/or details then you should re-register to let us know.

Choice-Based Lettings

We operate a number of Local Lettings Policies depending on location. Choice-based Lettings give people who are applying for a home with a council or housing association, choice about the home they wish to live in.

Choice-based Lettings homes are advertised as-and-when they become available and a deadline is set for interested applicants to express an interest in the home. This is known as ‘bidding’.

The bids for each home are then looked at and the applicant who is assessed to be in the greatest housing need, is usually given first refusal of the property. Adactus Housing Association, Chorley Community Housing and Beech Housing Association participate in choice based lettings in each local authority that we have properties in. Roughly 50% of our homes are allocated this way.

If you wish to live within the City of Manchester, through Manchester City Council’s Choice-Based Lettings scheme called Manchester Move.

If you wish to live within the Chorley Borough, South Ribble or Preston City, through their Choice-Based Lettings scheme called Select Move.

If you wish to live within Sefton Borough, through their Choice-Based Lettings scheme called Property Pool Plus.

In defining overcrowding, we consider it reasonable that the following people require their own bedroom.

Couple in a relationship and living together

Single parent

Adult aged 18 years or over

Person with supported / documented medical grounds for their own room

Child over 10 years of age not to share with the opposite sex

More than two children sharing a bedroom

Members of separate households living in one property

Children of the same sex with an age difference of 10 years and over.

Types of homes we let

We manage the following types of homes:

Mainly two and three bed houses for families, with some four, five and six bed houses

Studio apartments and one or two-bed apartments for singles or couples

Supported Housing and Retirement Living homes for older people

One, two or three-bed bungalows.

Whether newly built or not, all of our properties come with fitted kitchens and bathrooms. Some have gardens, intruder alarms and warden call systems. All of our properties (apart from some supported accommodation) are unfurnished.

The standard of our homes

When one of our homes becomes empty, we carry out refurbishment works to ensure it meets our agreed Relet Standard. Most, if not all works are completed when the property is empty, including replacement of kitchens and bathrooms where necessary. In most instances, we also offer a moving in decorating package, whereby decorating vouchers worth up to £280 (for a three bedroomed house) are provided.

Lettings checks

Before a let is completed, we carry out checks to anyone that has been offered a home from us. This will help ensure that they are eligible and suitable for this particular home. These checks also help us verify the information collected at the registration stage. Checks can include:

obtaining references from previous landlords.

Identifying any support needs.

credit checks.

medical record checks (if there is a medical reason for needing to move).